Teams | April 13, 2014 at 04:01 PM
Good chance in Leverkusen
Good chance in Leverkusen
Hertha BSC are away to Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Sunday (13.04.14, 3.30 pm).
Berlin - Bayer Leverkusen host Hertha BSC on Bundesliga matchday 30 on Sunday (13.04.14, 3.30 pm). A glance at the form table since the winter break shows that both sides have shown erratic form to say the least. In that table Bayer are currently 14th while Hertha are 17th. While Hertha have done well overall as a newly promoted having collected 37 points, Bayer have been having a nightmare time of things, After losing 1-2 away to lowly HSV, Liverpool legend Sami Hyypiä was relieved of his duties as head coach at the BayArena, so an interim coach is in charge until the end of the season. After taking a point against 1899 Hoffenheim, Hertha are keen to show that they can perform away from home.
The point against Hoffenheim came at a cost for the capital city side: Ronny was only able to train from Wednesday, while Dortmund-bound centre forward Adrian Ramos squashed a thigh muscle during a collision with 1899 keeper Koen Casteels and has been ruled out of the Leverkusen trip. Captain Fabian Lustenberger also resumed full first team training on Wednesday but his lack of match fitness rules him out of Sunday's clash, On the good news side, midfield dynamo Tolga Cigerci returns to the team from suspension.
"Confidence booster"
The draw against Hoffenheim ended a four game winless run for coach Jos Luhukay and his men. It was not just the fact that the rot was stopped, but far more how the team played. The second best attacking force in the Bundesliga (Hoffenheim) were not allowed many chances, while Hertha created enough opportunities to win the game themselves. All rounder Marcel Ndjeng: "The result boosted team confidence and I reckon we can pose Leverkusen similar problems. Luhukay knows: "We have to take more chances up front while keeping things stable at the back."
Leverkusen are ringing the changes since coach Lewandowski took charge at the start of the week. He describes what he has been attempting as: "Tweaking a few things in order to make swift progress." He is likely to make tactical changes too. The new coach: "We want to defend differently than we have been doing. We want to create more chances against teams who mass their defence." Marcel Ndjeng reckons that because the new coach came from inside the club they have an advantage. He said: "It is no major change for the team because he knows them all so well and has had success with them in the past." Leverkusen are keen for a return to winning ways in order to maintain their push for European football next season.
Leverkusen depleted
Leverkusen will be anything but at full strength on Sunday. Four key men have been ruled out of Sunday's game: Defender Stefan Reinartz is out for the rest of the season after undergoing calf surgery, while Robbie Kruse (cruciate ligament) and Jens Hegeler (knee) will also be out of action long term. The season looks to be over for on loan left back Andrès Guardado who recently tore a hamstring. It is not all doom and gloom though: Ömer Toprak and Sidney Sam have fully trained after injury and are available for selection again. For all Leverkusen players it is a chance to show what it means to play for the club after the top brass ominously announced that there will be "major changes" made to the squad. So heads will roll. Bayer right back Roberto Hilbert: "We want to perform well and show out team character as well as skill in order to keep the points in Leverkusen."
"The result against Hoffenheim was a liberating experience and we want more of the same in Leverkusen", added Ndjeng this week. Luhukay must look to others after top scorer Ramos was ruled out. The Dutchman: "Now that Adrian Ramos is out I hope that somebody else can step up to the plate." Three points in Leverkusen may not be quite as tough as it looks on paper. Bayer have only taken a single point at home from their last six matches and have not kept a clean sheet for nine games. So Hertha's chances seem good. It is up to the lads to take them.
Possible line-ups:
Bayer Leverkusen: Leno - Donati, Spahic, Wollscheid, Can - Bender, Rolfes - Brandt, Castro, Son - Kießling
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Pekarik, Langkamp, Kobiashvili, van den Bergh - Hosogai, Cigerci - Skjelbred, Ronny, Ben-Hatira - Allagui (Wagner)
The point against Hoffenheim came at a cost for the capital city side: Ronny was only able to train from Wednesday, while Dortmund-bound centre forward Adrian Ramos squashed a thigh muscle during a collision with 1899 keeper Koen Casteels and has been ruled out of the Leverkusen trip. Captain Fabian Lustenberger also resumed full first team training on Wednesday but his lack of match fitness rules him out of Sunday's clash, On the good news side, midfield dynamo Tolga Cigerci returns to the team from suspension.
"Confidence booster"
The draw against Hoffenheim ended a four game winless run for coach Jos Luhukay and his men. It was not just the fact that the rot was stopped, but far more how the team played. The second best attacking force in the Bundesliga (Hoffenheim) were not allowed many chances, while Hertha created enough opportunities to win the game themselves. All rounder Marcel Ndjeng: "The result boosted team confidence and I reckon we can pose Leverkusen similar problems. Luhukay knows: "We have to take more chances up front while keeping things stable at the back."
Leverkusen are ringing the changes since coach Lewandowski took charge at the start of the week. He describes what he has been attempting as: "Tweaking a few things in order to make swift progress." He is likely to make tactical changes too. The new coach: "We want to defend differently than we have been doing. We want to create more chances against teams who mass their defence." Marcel Ndjeng reckons that because the new coach came from inside the club they have an advantage. He said: "It is no major change for the team because he knows them all so well and has had success with them in the past." Leverkusen are keen for a return to winning ways in order to maintain their push for European football next season.
Leverkusen depleted
Leverkusen will be anything but at full strength on Sunday. Four key men have been ruled out of Sunday's game: Defender Stefan Reinartz is out for the rest of the season after undergoing calf surgery, while Robbie Kruse (cruciate ligament) and Jens Hegeler (knee) will also be out of action long term. The season looks to be over for on loan left back Andrès Guardado who recently tore a hamstring. It is not all doom and gloom though: Ömer Toprak and Sidney Sam have fully trained after injury and are available for selection again. For all Leverkusen players it is a chance to show what it means to play for the club after the top brass ominously announced that there will be "major changes" made to the squad. So heads will roll. Bayer right back Roberto Hilbert: "We want to perform well and show out team character as well as skill in order to keep the points in Leverkusen."
"The result against Hoffenheim was a liberating experience and we want more of the same in Leverkusen", added Ndjeng this week. Luhukay must look to others after top scorer Ramos was ruled out. The Dutchman: "Now that Adrian Ramos is out I hope that somebody else can step up to the plate." Three points in Leverkusen may not be quite as tough as it looks on paper. Bayer have only taken a single point at home from their last six matches and have not kept a clean sheet for nine games. So Hertha's chances seem good. It is up to the lads to take them.
Possible line-ups:
Bayer Leverkusen: Leno - Donati, Spahic, Wollscheid, Can - Bender, Rolfes - Brandt, Castro, Son - Kießling
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Pekarik, Langkamp, Kobiashvili, van den Bergh - Hosogai, Cigerci - Skjelbred, Ronny, Ben-Hatira - Allagui (Wagner)